dwinmeade
Well-Known Member
Why not just keep it simple...is it our nature to complicate things?
Go buy a single (or double) canister {rock, jewelry} wet tumbler from Harbor Freight.
Go buy a 5# bag of SS pins from MidwayUSA. Put 2.5 lbs in each canister.
Size and deprime 50 6.5CM size cases (or 100 223 size cases) for each canister to tumble.
Put in 1/2 teasooon of Dawn AND 1 table spoon of Lemi-Shine per canister.
Fill to 1/2" from the top with water.
Tumble for 3 hours while reloading something or priming cases or completing a 'honey due' item...(your discretion). Or better yet, do some load development (or sighting in) shooting...always the best option!
After 3 hours, rinse throughly (especially the insides to get any stray pins out) in the sink over a strainer to catch the pins. I keep a small magnet handy to pick up any stragglers outside the strainer. I then lay the brass between 2 towels and gently rub...gets the outsides pretty much dry before my next step.
Don't dry them on a cookie sheet in the oven on low heat...it will tarnish the crap out of them...(ask me how I know?)
Instead air dry them...my method...I take 3-5 plastic inserts from the factory ammo I used to buy. I slip 20 cleaned cases per insert and place them in front of a fan on low-medium speed. For how long? Well, 3 hours of course, while the next batch is tumbling and I'm reloading something (or checking off another 'honey due' item or shooting).
One note with small primer pockets...one in a 100 (roughly) cases will have 2 SS pins jammed inside the pocket. Just lightly punch them out over a magnet, preferably. Chasing down them little buggers can ruin a moment in time.
The large primer pocket cases don't seem to get jammed pins.
If you're into the case trimming, neck turning, and chambering your cases, probably best to do these before tumbling. (You could substitute my 'reloading something' 3 hour time slot doing these things instead.)
This system (whether simple or complex to you) works for me.
Go buy a single (or double) canister {rock, jewelry} wet tumbler from Harbor Freight.
Go buy a 5# bag of SS pins from MidwayUSA. Put 2.5 lbs in each canister.
Size and deprime 50 6.5CM size cases (or 100 223 size cases) for each canister to tumble.
Put in 1/2 teasooon of Dawn AND 1 table spoon of Lemi-Shine per canister.
Fill to 1/2" from the top with water.
Tumble for 3 hours while reloading something or priming cases or completing a 'honey due' item...(your discretion). Or better yet, do some load development (or sighting in) shooting...always the best option!
After 3 hours, rinse throughly (especially the insides to get any stray pins out) in the sink over a strainer to catch the pins. I keep a small magnet handy to pick up any stragglers outside the strainer. I then lay the brass between 2 towels and gently rub...gets the outsides pretty much dry before my next step.
Don't dry them on a cookie sheet in the oven on low heat...it will tarnish the crap out of them...(ask me how I know?)
Instead air dry them...my method...I take 3-5 plastic inserts from the factory ammo I used to buy. I slip 20 cleaned cases per insert and place them in front of a fan on low-medium speed. For how long? Well, 3 hours of course, while the next batch is tumbling and I'm reloading something (or checking off another 'honey due' item or shooting).
One note with small primer pockets...one in a 100 (roughly) cases will have 2 SS pins jammed inside the pocket. Just lightly punch them out over a magnet, preferably. Chasing down them little buggers can ruin a moment in time.
The large primer pocket cases don't seem to get jammed pins.
If you're into the case trimming, neck turning, and chambering your cases, probably best to do these before tumbling. (You could substitute my 'reloading something' 3 hour time slot doing these things instead.)
This system (whether simple or complex to you) works for me.
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